USA Withdraws from UNESCO

The United State announced their decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This has been many years coming, with the Obama Administration stopping funding to the organization in 2011 due to an amendment mandating a complete cutoff of American financing to any United Nations agency that accepts Palestine as a full member, according to the New York Times.

The Trump Administration wanted to further show the world the dedication the United States has to Israel by withdrawing completely from UNESCO. They will continue on as an observer, but will not participate in decision-making.

In July UNESCO declared the hotly contested core of Hebron, in the West Bank, as a Palestinian World Heritage site in danger. This blatantly anti-Israeli sentiment of the United Nation sealed the fate for the United States and prompted their removal.

The State Department said in a statement today, “It sends a strong message that we need to see fundamental reform in the organization, and it raises everyone’s awareness about continued anti-Israel bias.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the decision to leave UNESCO “brave” and “moral.”